


a promise of return

by too_many_umbrellas



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, No Incest, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Number Five | The Boy-centric, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Vanya Hargreeves-centric, absolutely no incest in this fic five and vanya are just best friends, neither of them get one though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:22:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28102365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/too_many_umbrellas/pseuds/too_many_umbrellas
Summary: Vanya and Five made each other a promise every time they separated. Every time, except for when it had mattered most.orFive, Vanya, and a promise.
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39





	a promise of return

**Author's Note:**

> did i overuse the word ‘maybe’ in this fic?   
> maybe.

When they were children living under Reginald Hargreeves’ rule, Vanya and Five had had a small tradition. 

Every time one of them left, whether for a mission, to sneak out, or any other possibility, they would make sure to exchange a few small words. 

“Goodnight, see you tomorrow.” 

“Beat up some assholes for me! I’ll see you when you get back.” 

“Keep working on that piece, it’s really coming along. See you after the mission.” 

They were seemingly nothing more than quiet reassurances that they would be coming back, no matter what happened. That Five wouldn’t leave Vanya behind, and vise versa. It could almost be called superstition, but they clung to the words as though they were a lifeline. 

But it was more than that too. It was an anchor, a comfort, a  _promise_ . 

Because Five and Vanya weren’t simply  _friends_ . They had a bond that had been forged in the fire of Reginald’s idea of an upbringing, tempered with quiet gestures of care, and polished with moments of peace in a world usually so torn up with war. Taking care of a wound inflicted because of disobedience here, wiping away tears that had sprung from loneliness there. Small ways to say _‘_ _I’m here._ _’_ without ever uttering a word. Dancing in the kitchen after a bad day, making sandwiches and ranting about equations when stressed, kindness where all they saw was hatred. 

A promise of return where people were leaving all around them. 

Klaus, retreating into his drugs, and Allison into her fame. Ben becoming quieter with every use of his powers, and Diego becoming angrier at the world with every word from their father. Luther shaping himself into the perfect leader, instead of just being a normal kid. 

God, they were all just  _children_ . 

Children with blood on their knuckles and hatred in their hearts, but children all the same. 

Children who trusted that their lives could depend on a few words and an agreement. 

And maybe some part of Vanya still believed that the reason Five had disappeared that day at the dinner table was because she didn’t get to tell him their binding words before he ran off. 

And maybe some part of Five had lost hope the moment he had realized he was stuck in the Apocalypse, solely based on his failure to make his promise. Maybe some part of him believed he was never going to make it back  _because of_ it. 

Except he did. 

When Vanya saw Five fall through that portal in their courtyard, that small part of her that froze with pain after Five had left had suddenly started to thaw. As he walked around the kitchen, explaining his appearance to his siblings while making himself a sandwich ( _peanut butter and marshmallow_ ,  and she was crumbling under the weight of her memories. She remembered when it was just her sitting on a stool, barely ten, as her brother had bounced around the room explaining the math behind time travel, excitement coloring his tone and joy bolstering his steps. Now, though, there was no excitement, no joy. Now there was pain behind his eyes and sarcasm dripping from his words, a youthful, hopeful child betrayed by the very thing he had loved.) and some part of her, the part that had never quite grown from the thirteen year old she used to be, cried in relief. 

He was so different in some ways, but that icy pain inside of her dripped away more with every familiar word, every habit that he had never lost, every piece of him that was still the same. 

Seeing him sitting in the dark of her apartment brought memories rushing back, of him waiting in her room to hear her newest piece on violin, to share a book, to tell her about their mission. Memories of a time long gone. 

“I haven’t seen you in a long time, and I don’t want to lose you again. That’s all. And you know what, it’s getting late, and I have lessons early, and I need sleep, and I’m sure you do too. Here.” She fixed a blanket for him, hoping he would agree to stay overnight. Walking past him and to her own bedroom, she said, “Night.” 

And maybe that ice shattered completely when he responded, almost on autopilot, “Night. See you tomorrow.” 

He might not have meant anything by it. People said ‘see you tomorrow’ all the time. Maybe she was getting her hopes up for nothing. Maybe he doesn’t even remember their old tradition. Maybe her wish that this Five with the sadness in his voice and loneliness in his heart was still  _her Five_ was influencing her. 

But she was allowed to hope, wasn’t she? 

And so she had slipped away before he could see the slight smile that flitted across her face. 

Maybe things would be okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> aaaaa i love Five and Vanya’s friendship so much and this was basically just a conduit to pour that love into dksbdj  
> feedback is appreciated!!! hope you enjoyed :)


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